Can tray

ABSTRACT

A can tray ( 10 ) includes a floor ( 12 ) and a plurality of support members ( 24 ) extending upwardly from a periphery of the floor. A plurality of upstanding projections ( 18,20 ) extend upwardly from the floor and define can-receiving ( 14 ) areas therebetween. Each of the projections includes concave surfaces ( 19,21 ) facing the can-receiving areas. The support members are hollow, such that support members of one can tray can be nested within the support members of an identical can tray stacked thereon. The plurality of projections includes a plurality of center projections ( 18 ) along at least one of two centerlines of the tray and a plurality of non-center projections ( 20 ) not on either of the two centerlines of the tray. The center projections extend higher than the non-center projections.

This is a national stage application under 35 U.S.C. 371 ofPCT/US03/16472.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a tray for holding cans, and particularlybeverage and soft drink cans.

Trays used to hold cans, such as soft drink or beer cans, typicallyinclude an open floor and side walls having a continuous band around thetop in order to retain the cans within the tray during storage andtransport. An example of such can tray is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.5,316,172. However, can trays of this type often do not provide adequatevisibility into the tray in order to view its contents, or to read thelabel of the can held therein. Present can trays are also typicallysingle walled structures, which while durable, may not be capable ofproviding enhanced torsion and bending strength which may be desiredunder certain circumstances. These trays also may not provide sufficientnesting with like trays during storage and transport.

Accordingly, a can tray is desired which provides visibility into thecrate and the capability of reading the label of the cans storedtherein, as well as providing enhanced strength and enhanced nestabilitywhen not in use.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A tray for supporting cans is provided, which has a floor member and awall structure. The wall structure includes a plurality of supportmembers around the periphery to the tray and windows between adjacentsupport members for providing visibility into the tray. The floor areaincludes upstanding projections extending upwardly therefrom. Thesupport members and projections define a plurality of can receivingareas in which the cans are supported. The tray is capable of nestingwith a similar tray. In one embodiment, the tray includes a handle barmember extending between two support members on the end wall, definingan opening thereunder by which a user may grasp the handle bar andmanipulate the tray. In another embodiment, upstanding rib members areprovided on the floor in order to impede the flow of liquid from thetray. In yet another embodiment, a cutout is provided on the outersurface of the support members for handling the tray. And in stillanother embodiment, the support members extend fully around theperiphery of the tray.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other advantages of the present invention can be understood by referenceto the following detailed description when considered in connection withthe accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a can trayaccording to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view of the tray of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an end elevational view of the tray of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the tray of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a perspective cross-sectional view of the tray of FIG. 1,taken along the longitudinal centerline;

FIG. 6 shows the tray of FIG. 1 with cans stored therein;

FIG. 7 is a top plan view of the tray of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a second embodiment of a can tray according to the presentinvention;

FIG. 9 is a perspective cross-sectional view of the tray of FIG. 8,taken-along the longitudinal centerline;

FIG. 10 illustrates a third embodiment of a can tray according to thepresent invention;

FIG. 11 is a perspective cross-sectional view of the tray of FIG. 10,taken along the longitudinal centerline;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a fourth embodiment of a tray accordingto the present invention; and

FIG. 13 is an end elevational view of the tray of FIG. 12.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIGS. 1-7 illustrate a first embodiment of a can tray according to thepresent invention. FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the firstembodiment of a can tray 10. Can tray 10 includes a floor member 12having a plurality of can retaining pockets 14 in which cans 5 (seeFIGS. 6-7) sit while tray 10 is in use. Retaining pockets 14 include arecessed area 16 which may be sized to receive the bottom of a can in asecure manner. Recessed area 16 also defines a corresponding protrudingcan capture area 17 on the bottom of tray 10 (FIG. 34). When in astacked position, convex protruding area 17 is received by the typicalrecessed top area 7 of a can 5 subjacent thereto (FIG. 6). Cans 5 aretypically those known in the art which are used for soft drinks, beer,and the like and are often formed of aluminum or steel. In theembodiments shown, tray 10 includes twenty-four can retaining pockets ina four by six array. Floor 12 also includes a plurality of projectionsextending up from the floor, which include relatively taller projections18 extending along the center lines of tray 10, and relatively shorterprojections 20 spaced away from the center lines (see FIG. 5).Projections 18, 20 are generally tapered and have surfaces 19, 21respectively, that help to define individual can retaining pockets 14,as well as assist in supporting the cans in an upright, stable manner.

As shown in FIGS. 1-7, tray 10 also includes a wall structure 22 havingaround its periphery a plurality of upstanding side support members 24,which are spaced apart from each other to define alternating windows 26therebetween. Windows 26 provide visibility into the tray 10 and alsoallows one to view the can from outside of the tray 10. Upstanding sidemembers 24 are preferably hollow for nesting purposes and may alsoinclude strength ribs 25 disposed therein, as shown in FIG. 5. Sidemembers 24 are also illustrated as being tapered from top to bottom.Members 24 are hollow in order to enhance the nestability of tray 10when not in use such that the side members 24 of an upper tray 10nestingly receive the side members of a like, lower tray. Side membersalso include end side members 27, and corner members 29.

As illustrated in this embodiment, tray 10 also includes a handle bar 28that extends between adjacent support members 27 on the short side ofthe tray. Thus, handle bar 28, support members 27, and floor member 12define an opening 42 below handle bar 28 that allows a user to grasp thetray 10 and manipulate the tray. Wall structure 22 also includes betweenadjacent side members 24 a relatively short connection member 30extending between side members 24 and disposed beneath window 26.Connection member 30 serves to provide additional strength to tray 10while not blocking the visibility into the crate or the can label inaccordance of the goals of the present invention.

Support members 24 have a generally flat, planar outer surface 32, andan inner surface having two opposed can contact surfaces 34, 36 whichextend into the interior of tray 10 and form can retaining pockets 14along with projections 18 and/or 20. An opening 33 is disposed belowouter surface 32 for ease of nesting. However, note that corner supportmembers 29 of course, have only a single can retaining surface 38. Also,floor member 12 includes a relatively short peripheral projection 40along the longitudinal centerline adjacent the handle bar 28 forproviding lower support for cans disposed adjacent thereto.

A second embodiment of the can tray according to the present inventionis shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 as can tray 110. For ease of reference,similar features between the first embodiment and the second embodimentwill be given a similar reference number, with the addition of a “1”prefix. Accordingly, tray 110 includes a floor member 112 and anupstanding wall structure 122 similar to that of the first embodiment.However, the second embodiment differs from the first in the area of thehandle along the short side of the tray 10. Specifically, supportmembers 127 have a cutout 150 formed along their external surface whilejoined by a contoured inner surface 152. The cutout thus provides asurface 154 by which a tray 110 may be lifted and handled. Inner surface152 provides for additional can support as well as provides protectionfor the cans such that a user's fingers are not permitted to interferewith the cans.

FIGS. 10 and 11 illustrate a third embodiment of a can tray 210according to the present invention. Those features of can tray 210 whichare similar to those of the first embodiment will bear a similarreference number with the addition of a “2” prefix. Thus, tray 210includes a floor member 212 and an upstanding wall structure 222. Unlikethe previous embodiments, tray 212 does not include a formal handle areabut instead has a plurality of support members 224 extending around theperiphery of tray 210. This allows complete visibility and can labelaccess around the periphery of tray 210 through windows 226.

FIGS. 12 and 13 illustrate a fourth embodiment of a can tray 310according to the present invention. Those features of can tray 310 whichare similar to those of the first embodiment will bear a similarreference number with the addition of a “3” prefix. Thus, tray 310includes a floor member 312 and an upstanding wall structure 322. Tray310 is similar to tray 10, with the addition of a plurality of ribmembers 360 proximate each short wall of tray 310. Rib members 360provide additional strength to the tray 310, but also provide a leakagebarrier. Should a can 5 contained within tray 310 happen to leak, theliquid that travels to the long walls will be prevented from spillingfrom the tray by connection members 330. However, the short walls do nothave connection members under the handle area. Accordingly, liquidtraveling to that area would spill from the tray without rib members 360to block its travel. The long wall view and bottom plan view of thefirst embodiment should be generally applicable to this fourthembodiment. The rib members 360 could also be provided in any of thepreceding embodiments in FIGS. 1-11.

Each of the tray embodiments shown herein is generally symmetrical aboutits centerlines. Preferably the trays disclosed herein are integrallyformed of injection molded plastic to form a unitary construction. It isunderstood that the term “can label” is used herein to genericallydefine a printed can, whether there is a separate label attachedthereto, or not. While embodiments of the invention have beenillustrated and described, it is not intended that these embodimentsillustrate and describe all possible forms of the invention. Rather, thewords used in the specification are words of description rather thanlimitation, and it is understood that various changes may be madewithout departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

1. A can tray comprising: a floor; a plurality of support membersextending upwardly from a periphery of the floor; a plurality ofupstanding projections extending upwardly from the floor, theprojections defining a plurality of can-receiving areas therebetween,wherein the plurality of support members are taller than the pluralityof upstanding projections; and a wall located between each of theplurality of support members, wherein each of the walls is spaced apartfrom an adjacent wall.
 2. The can tray of claim 1 wherein the pluralityof upstanding projections includes a plurality of center projectionsalong a centerline of the can tray and a plurality of non-centerprojections not along the centerline of the can tray, wherein the centerprojections are taller than the non-center projections.
 3. The can trayof claim 1 wherein the plurality of upstanding projections includes aplurality of center projections each along at least one of twocenterlines of the can tray and a plurality of non-center projectionsnot along either of the two centerlines of the can tray, wherein thecenter projections are taller than the non-center projections.
 4. Thecan tray according to claim 1, wherein each of the projections includesa plurality of exterior concave surfaces each adjacent one of thecan-receiving areas.
 5. The can tray of claim 4 wherein each of theprojections includes at least one vertically-extending rib adjacent eachof the exterior concave surfaces.
 6. The can tray according to claim 1,wherein the can tray can be nested at least partially within anidentical can tray stacked thereon.
 7. The can tray of claim 6 whereinthe support members of the can tray are insertable into support membersof the identical can tray stacked thereon.
 8. The can tray according toclaim 1, further including a plurality of windows, each defined betweenan adjacent pair of the plurality of support members.
 9. The can tray ofclaim 8 wherein the windows are upwardly-open.
 10. The can trayaccording to claim 1 further including at least one handle extendingbetween adjacent support members and defining an opening between thehandle and the floor.
 11. The can tray according to claim 1 wherein theplurality of support members and the plurality of projections are hollowand each of the plurality of support members includes an upper openingthrough the can tray.
 12. The can tray of claim 11 wherein at least someof the plurality of projections include an upper opening through the cantray.
 13. The can tray according to claim 1 further including aplurality of upstanding ribs extending upwardly from the floor forimpeding the flow of liquid from the tray.
 14. The can tray of claim 13wherein the ribs connect adjacent pairs of projections and aresubstantially shorter than the projections.
 15. The can tray accordingto claim 1 wherein the plurality of support members each include aninner wall and an outer wall, and wherein the plurality of supportmembers includes a plurality of end members having a cutout portion inthe outer wall.
 16. The can tray of claim 15 wherein the inner wall ofthe plurality of end members have concave interior surfaces.
 17. The cantray of claim 1 wherein the plurality of support members includes aplurality of end members each having at least one concave interiorsurface and an exterior surface.
 18. The can tray according to claim 1,wherein the floor, the support members and the projections are allintegrally molded as a single piece of plastic.
 19. The can trayaccording to claim 1 further including a plurality of beverage cans eachdisposed in one of the can-receiving areas.
 20. The can tray accordingto claim 1, wherein the floor has an upper surface defining can pocketsas the can-receiving areas for receiving the bottoms of cans and a lowersurface having a plurality of protruding can capture areas forprotruding into a recessed top area of the cans.
 21. The can tray asrecited in claim 1 wherein the plurality of support members do notinclude a vertical recess on an outer surface.
 22. The can tray asrecited in claim 1 wherein the plurality of upstanding projections donot include a vertical recess on an outer surface.
 23. The can tray asrecited in claim 2 wherein each of the plurality of non-centerprojections are defined by a plurality of spaced apart walls that definea hollow portion therebetween.
 24. The can tray as recited in claim 8wherein each of the walls is located under one of plurality of thewindows.
 25. A can tray comprising: a floor; a plurality of supportmembers extending upwardly from a periphery of the floor, each adjacentpair of support members defining an upwardly-open window therebetween;and a plurality of upstanding projections extending upwardly from thefloor, the projections defining a plurality of can-receiving areastherebetween, wherein the plurality of upstanding projections includes aplurality of center projections along a centerline of the can tray and aplurality of non-center projections not along the centerline of the cantray, wherein the center projections are taller than the non-centerprojections, the plurality of support members are taller than theplurality of upstanding projections, and each of the plurality ofnon-center projections are defined by a plurality of spaced apart wallsthat define a hollow portion therebetween.
 26. The can tray of claim 25wherein each of the windows has a height defined from a bottom of eachof the windows to a top of the adjacent pair of support members that issignificantly more than half a height of the adjacent pair of supportmembers.
 27. The can tray according to claim 25 wherein each of theprojections includes four concave exterior surfaces, each adjacent oneof the can-receiving areas.
 28. The can tray according to claim 25,wherein the plurality of support members each include an inner wall andan outer wall, and wherein the plurality of support members includes aplurality of end members having a cutout portion in the outer wall. 29.The can tray of claim 28 wherein the inner wall of the plurality of endmembers have concave interior surfaces.
 30. The can tray according toclaim 25, wherein the plurality of support members and the plurality ofprojections are hollow.
 31. The can tray as recited in claim 25 whereinthe plurality of support members do not include a vertical recess on anouter surface.
 32. The can tray as recited in claim 25 wherein theplurality of upstanding projections do not include a vertical recess onan outer surface.
 33. The can tray as recited in claim 25 including awall located between each of the plurality of support members, and eachof the walls is spaced apart from an adjacent wall.
 34. The can tray asrecited in claim 33 wherein each of the walls is located under one ofthe plurality of windows.
 35. A can tray comprising: a floor; aplurality of support members extending upwardly from a periphery of thefloor, each adjacent pair of support members defining an upwardly-openwindow therebetween, wherein each of the windows has a height definedfrom a bottom of the window to a top of the adjacent pair of supportmembers that is significantly more that half a height of the adjacentpair of support members; a plurality of hollow upstanding projectionsextending upwardly from the floor, the projections defining a pluralityof can-receiving areas therebetween; and a wall located between each ofthe plurality of support members, wherein each of the walls is spacedapart from an adjacent wall.
 36. The can tray of claim 35 wherein eachof the support members includes an inner wall and an outer wall, suchthat the support members of the can tray would nest within the supportmembers of an identical tray stacked thereon.
 37. The can tray asrecited in claim 35 wherein the plurality of support members do notinclude a vertical recess on an outer surface.
 38. The can tray asrecited in claim 35 wherein the plurality of upstanding projections donot include a vertical recess on an outer surface.
 39. The can tray asrecited in claim 35 wherein the plurality of upstanding projectionsincludes a plurality of center projections along a centerline of the cantray and a plurality of non-center projections not along the centerlineof the can tray, the center projections are taller than the non-centerprojections, and each of the plurality of non-center projections aredefined by a plurality of spaced apart walls that define a hollowportion therebetween.
 40. A can tray comprising: a floor; a plurality ofsupport members extending upwardly from a periphery of the floor; and aplurality of upstanding projections extending upwardly from the floor,the projections defining a plurality of can-receiving areastherebetween, wherein the plurality of support members are taller thanthe plurality of upstanding projections, wherein the can tray does notinclude ribs connecting the plurality of upstanding projections to theplurality of support members.
 41. The can tray of claim 40 wherein thecan tray does not include ribs connecting the plurality of upstandingprojections to one another.
 42. The can tray of claim 26 wherein the cantray does not include ribs connecting the plurality of upstandingprojections to the plurality of support members, and the can tray doesnot include ribs connecting the plurality of upstanding projections toone another.